FLOODPLAIN MANAGEMENT 101 MAP READING & FLOOD INSURANCE STUDIES MAP TYPES FHBM Flood Hazard Boundary Map FIRM Flood Insurance Rate Map FBFM Flood Boundary and Floodway Map DFIRM Digital Flood Insurance Rate Map FLOOD HAZARD BOUNDARY MAP No BFE published on Map 1
USING TOPOGRAPHIC MAPS TO DETERMINE BFES USGS topographic maps are used to transfer BFE data to FHBM If property is between elevation reference lines, then BFE is interpolated Interpolation is a method of constructing new data points within the range of a discrete set of known data points. WHAT IS THE BFE AT THE PROPOSED SITE? USGS TOPO MAP TO SCALE OF FHBM 2
TOPO MAP OVERLAID ON FHBM BFE FOR SITE = 55 FEET MSL FLOOD HAZARD BOUNDARY MAP EXERCISE 3
FIND USGS QUAD SHEET FOR AREA OVERLAY USGS TOPO MAPS ONTO FHBM Scale USGS Quad sheet to match scale of FHBM 4
OVERLAY USGS TOPO MAPS ONTO FHBM WHERE CONTOURS INTERSECT SFHA, DRAW PERPENDICULAR ELEVATION LINES FOR BFE BFE DETERMINED ON FHBM FROM QUAD SHEET 235 235 230 230 5
FLOOD INSURANCE RATE MAP (FIRM) NFIP BASE FLOOD 1% event or 100 year flood 1% chance that storm will be equaled orexceeded inany given year Zone AE 1% floodplain on FIRM 100 Year Flood on Profile COASTAL FIRM 6
FIRM LEGEND Map Number 48201C0915 J Six Digit Community ID No. 480296 (City of Houston) Panel Number 0915 Map Panel Suffix J 10th publishing of map Panel Revision Date November 1996 SFHA 1% event Zones A no BFEs AE BFEs AH Ponding, BFEs & Depth h1 3 AO Sheet flow, Depth 1 3 AR flood control structure being restored A99 Soon protected by structure, no BFEs V Coastal flood, no BFEs VE Coastal flood, BFEs Floodway Areas AE or AO Other Flood Areas X 0.2% event Other Areas X outside 0.2% event D flood hazard possible Coastal Barrier Resources System Otherwise Protected Areas 7
Base Flood Elevation (BFE) Cross sections Elevations Reference Marks Datum on Index Effective Date Countywide FIRM Revisions Map Scale MAP READING EXERCISE The subject property is located at Aberdeen Way and Sewanee Street in Houston, Texas, Harris County. STEP 1 - SELECT THE CORRECT MAP PANEL Refer to map index map if community in question has several map panels. 8
LOCATE PROPERTY ON MAP INDEX STEP 2 - FIND GENERAL LOCATION Find identifying landmarks or road intersections. Use other maps to supplement FIRM (it is recommended that your community overlay FEMA's flood maps with your planning or zoning maps). LOCATE PROPERTY ON FIRM PANEL 9
STEP 3 IDENTIFY SPECIFIC LOCATION Refer to subdivision plats, tax maps, or legal descriptions. Scale the information about the property from these other sources and delineate on FIRM. STEP 4 DETERMINE IF SITE IS IN THE FLOODPLAIN May be obviously in or out May be questionable Site elevations in relation to BFE may be deciding factor STEP 5 DETERMINE IF SITE IS IN THE FLOODWAY Floodway boundaries are determined by horizontal measurement, not elevation. Must scale from map to locate boundary on site. 10
STEP 6 DETERMINE BFE Use flood profiles in FIS Booklet. BFEs shown on FIRMS will serve to verify the figure determined from the profile. IMPORTANCE OF USING THE PROFILE WHEN DETERMINING BFE Site Location What is the BFE? 11
WHAT IS THE BFE ON THE PROFILE? DOES IT MATCH BFE ON THE FIRM? THE BFE ON FIRM DIFFERS FROM BFE ON PROFILE FIRM BFE = 50.1 feet Profile BFE = 50.5 feet 0.4 foot difference could drastically alter an analysis! HEAD LOSS ACROSS A STRUCTURE WILL CAUSE A JUMP IN BFE This jump This jump cannot be seen on the FIRM 12
BEYOND LIMIT OF DETAILED STUDY (LODS) MAPPED 4 WAYS Zone X Shaded Areas inundated by 0.2% event Zone X Unshaded Areas outside 0.2% event Zone A Areas inundated by 1% event No BFEs determined Not Mapped Can be community defined LODS ZONE X SHADED LODS ZONE X UNSHADED 13
LODS ZONE A UNNUMBERED A ZONES Hydraulic Model computes 100 year Water Surface Elevation If complete study, then BFE from average depth of water to ground elevation of channel WWW.MSC.FEMA.GOV 14
AVAILABLE DATA SEARCH VIEW PRINT ORDER FIRMS & LOMCS REQUEST INFORMATION FROM FEMA Go to www.msc.fema.gov 15